Prevention of stereotypic behavior in horses requires understanding the management factors that drive their development. Creating environments that meet horses' behavioral needs is both more effective and more welfare-positive than treating established stereotypies.
Stereotypy prevention is fundamentally about providing environments that do not generate the chronic frustration and stress that drive their development. The evidence is clear: horses with continuous forage access, appropriate social contact, and sufficient movement do not develop stereotypies at the rates seen in horses stabled in barren conditions with restricted access to these fundamental needs. The early life period is critical — management decisions made about foals and young horses create or prevent vulnerabilities that persist throughout their lives. Breeding and training operations that prioritize natural management during the developmental period provide horses with behavioral resilience that serves their welfare throughout their careers.